Rock Hunting in Rockport (May 7th 2011)

One site I've been going to since I started rock hunting is Rockport, located between Dorchester and Sackville, New Brunswick. The more I go the more interesting things I find. Slacks Cove is full of places you can stumble upon cool rocks, fossils, or dead animals such as a half eaten seal.. burk!

Reaching Dorchester the road splits between 106 (towards Sackville) and the 935 towards Dorchester Cape. I take the 935 south and drive a few minutes until the paved road turns into a dirt road. A few hundred meters from where the road changed I stop my car and park it on the side of the road where the old road cuts into a new one the government constructed last year.

I've stopped a few times but didn't had the chance to check these red cliffs. I've spotted some fossil plants but very sparse. There's also a lot of big boulder-size conglomerate rocks all over the place, standing out amidst the red silt.

What I had to cross to get to the beach.

The tide at its lowest point. Usually this boulder is under water at high tide.

This is the type of conglomerate that you'll see in Dorchester Cape.

I didn't stay too long as I knew that my time was limited to a few short hours before the tides came up. I hopped in my Rabbit and continued on down the dusty road. As you continue pass Shepody Bay and south on Route 935, you'll reach Johnson's Mills. The road takes a sharp left turn to lead to Upper Rockport. Take the south road.

When you reach Rockport, continue until you reach Slacks Cove (N45 43.564 W64 31.593). The roads at some places get really tricky to navigate, especially when you drive a Volkswagen Rabbit like me.

Getting my arse ready to go rock hunting!

Here's a small vid that I took before climbing down the cliffs. The tide is this time had passed its lowest point. The weather wasn't too bad even with the nasty blue and grey clouds. There was a few rain drops but not enough to melt me. You can hear the stream in the background.

The area I'm trying to focus during this visit is the eastern part of the cove. The further I venture out of the cove east/south-east, the more the cliffs reveal their fossil content. The previous times I came I'd check the cliffs inside the cove, but realized that they're somewhat sheltered, seeing barely any erosive activity. This proved my point when the further I'd walk south, the more the cliffs would reveal to me. Getting there is a bit tricky and dangerous as I'd try to cross a stream with rocks covered in that muddy silt and green slime.

Nice to look at, but dangerous to cross. Slippery when wet!

Loads and loads of plant fossils.

Mudstone, shale, coal, sandstone.

Seems of coal with fossils in the mix. Typical from the cliffs I've seen so far.

Coal attached to rock and...

...coal stuck on a piece of fossil. Some places the lines get mixed and you can barely tell.

Beautiful details from that Calamite specimen.

The tides were getting up to a dangerous so I had to turn and make my way back. I will have to come back to get a closer look at those cliffs, hard hat a must at that too. The site has a lot of potential and it is not surprising: across the Bay of Fundy are the Joggins Fossil Cliffs.

Till next time!

Disclaimer: In New Brunswick under the 'Heritage Conservation Act', fossils discovered must not be destroyed or removed from sites where they are found without a permit. It is every one's civic duty to report any finds to the New Brunswick Museum (https://www.nbm-mnb.ca/). This encourages the contribution these finds could make to science not just in the province, but on the global stage. You must also seek permission if you are to enter private land.